How the Giver Should Have Ended
by DeltaEnlightment
Summary: I didn't really like how Chapter 23 of the Giver ended. So I rewrote the final chapter and added a chapter and an epilogue. Jonas and Gabe come across a cabin on Christmas and are taken in by a girl and her family. As the years pass, things change a new life begins.
1. Chapter 23

**Hi everyone! This was a final project for school I had to do. It was either add a chapter onto the end of the book, or rewrite the last chapter. So I said, why not do both. SO here is my version of Chapter 23, my chapter 24, and an epilogue. -Delta**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Giver. All rights belong to Lois Lowery**

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Chapter 23

Jonas and Gabe were beginning to understand what the world was really like. The hunger, the wild, the everlasting feeling of being terrified consumed them. The feeling of fatigue was beginning to take control of their bodies and the way that they traveled. Though it was a very unlikely possibility, Jonas believed that their journey was coming to an end.

The next few days on the boys' journey, it began to become colder. The days became shorter, and the nights became longer. Jonas had become accustomed to walking slower and traveling through the day, when the light was plentiful, and that he could see where he was walking, while trying to protect Gabe as he did.

One day, the harsh cold was accompanied by a light snowfall, one that surprised Jonas, one that made him feel happy. That it was all going to be all right. Jonas danced through the snow and swung the child around in glee, before continuing on the journey. For that one moment of joy, all the pain and suffering that Jonas was enduring vanished from his mind. For that moment, the entire world was at peace, and nothing would ever go wrong again. And Jonas believed his mind, though deep down he knew it was too good to be true.

As the day went on, the snow became heavier and thicker. Before long, the simple snow had become a full blown blizzard. Jonas could hardly see through the thick sheet of white, and decided to keep Gabriel safe and protected from the snow. He found shelter from the storm and slept with Gabe in his arms until the next morning came.

To Jonas and Gabe's luck, the storm had died down in the night, and it was back to the light downfall of beautiful and gentle flakes of snow. Jonas picked up Gabe and continued on the journey that lied ahead of them. It was a more difficult task to walk than before, the snow was thick and stuck to Jonas's clothes.

Around midday, the snow had slowed to a halt. The light was beginning to fade and all the hunger Jonas was experiencing was catching up to him, and he felt as if he wasn't going to survive. It was as if a miracle had struck him we he came across the one thing that he was amazed when he saw. A set of large footprints were trailing to small hill almost a mile away, and though the footprints were getting smaller, they disappeared on top of the hill. Jonas looked to the child on his back and sighed.

"Gabe, whoever is on the other side of that hill better be friendly. I think we should see if there is anyone over there that can help us," Jonas told the child.

Gabe just laughed, which turned into a cry of pain. The child was very weak.

"I guess that means we should go." Jonas sighed and started towards the hill. Clouds were beginning to cover the sky, and within the next hour or so, it was completely dark again. Though every bone in Jonas's body told him to stop going, he kept towards the hill, and eventually up it. Not straying from the path that lied before him.

To the odd pairs luck, it began snowing again. The already difficult climb up the hill became worse, and the footprints were beginning to disappear.

"We're almost there, Gabe. Almost there," Jonas whispered in reassurance to the child and himself to encourage himself to get finish the climb up the hill. And the pair made it up the hill.

Jonas was awestruck at the sight below him, though it was blurry and his eyesight along with the rest of his body was weak, he could make out the slight colors that outlined a cabin below him. He began his descent towards the cabin and he fell halfway down the hill. In attempt to get back up, he fell again. Jonas covered the child in his arms as he fell down at the third attempt and rolled down the hill. At the bottom of the hill, he and Gabe were only a few yards from the cabin.

Jonas managed to get on his feet long enough to get to the door, and as soon as his hand touched the handle, he blacked out and fell against the door.

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	2. Chapter 24

**Well, here you go! My version of the way it should have ended! If you are reading this I hope it means you like the first really short chapter.-Delta**

**Disclaimer: I am not Lois Lowery. I never will be.**

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Chapter 24

Jonas's eyes flew open as he tried to remember where he was. The first thing he realized was that someone was stroking his forehead. He tried to sit up just as fast as his eyes opened, but failed with the reason that his bones and muscles wouldn't let him.

"Don't sit up. Aunt Bells says that you are too weak to even attempt to move. You must have gone through a lot of to be in the shape that you were in when we found you," a young girl's voice said to him in a soothing voice. In a feeble attempt to move his head, Jonas saw a girl with dark brown hair, and pale skin looking at him. "What's your name?"

He thought about it for a moment. "Jonas. My name is Jonas," Jonas managed to rasp out. Then he remembered his long journey and tried to sit up. "Gabriel!"

"Don't try to move that fast you are too weak. If you are talking about the baby you had with you, he is with my Nana Marie. That baby was in much better shape than you were. You took good care of him, he's a real cutie."

"Thank you. You haven't told me your name?"

"Oh, right. My name is Carolyn. Carolyn Whitefield. You're at my house where I live with my Aunt Bells, Uncle Richard, and Nana Marie," Carolyn said.

"Thank you for taking us in, Carolyn. Gabe and I have been traveling for weeks. We left our community because they were going to kill Gabe for not being a perfectly behaved new child. I had to protect him."

"What's a new child?" Carolyn inquired.

"Oh, I mean baby. That's what they called babies where I came from."

"Well, Jonas. I'm glad that you found us. It gets lonely here with just my mother's family."

"You live with just your mother's family?"

"Yes. My mother and father passed away when I was four years old. I turn fourteen in two months."

"It must be hard growing up without your parents."

"It isn't really. How about we get you something to eat and aquatinted with my family," Carolyn said and helped him sit up and on his feet. "Do you think you can walk by yourself?"

"I can try," Jonas said. And he stumbled on his second step. Carolyn being right by him caught Jonas before he hit the floor. She put her arm around his shoulder's to keep him from falling, and he put his arm around the waist because he was weak on his feet.

"I guess you need a little support before you get you strength back." Jonas nodded at the statement. She helped him into the living room through a few other rooms filled with bright colors and lights.

"Carolyn? Why are there so many decorations around the cabin?"

"Well, it's Christmas, silly. Didn't you have Christmas where you are from?"

"No. We didn't have much of anything where I'm. For everyone except the Giver, Gabe, a girl who died, and myself, didn't even know what color was. There was no weather, no color, no sun, no animals, and no snow. Everything was all the same all the time."

"That is so sad. I feel sorry for the people who live where you came from." Carolyn looked like it was the worst thing in the world.

'Not really. No one even realizes it. They were raised without it. So they don't even know that they are missing out."

"Carolyn? Is the boy up?" A female with white hair came from another room carrying Gabe.

"Yes, Nana Marie. This is Jonas. The baby's name is Gabriel."

"Well at least that is figured out. Jonas was it?" Nana Marie asked. He nodded. "Are you feeling alright? You are absolutely skin and bones. Carolyn, take him to the kitchen have Bell get him some supper. We will welcome our guest as if her were part of our family."

"Thank you, Nana Marie," Jonas said.

"Don't even bother. You and your little friend here seem to need it more than we do." Carolyn led Jonas to the kitchen.

"Aunt Bells? Can you get dome food for Jonas?" She asked. A tall female looked up from the stove.

"Look what we have here. What a lovely young man you are. Carolyn said your name was Jonas, yes?"

"Yes."

"My name is Bell, you can call me Bells or Aunt Bells, if you'd like. Here we go!" She said, and set a plate on the table in front of Jonas. "Do you know where you were going to have ended up on our doorstep?"

"I don't know. I was just trying to save Gabe. I didn't really think it through."

"So you have nowhere to go?" Bells asked. Jonas nodded. "We will have to fix that. You are welcome to stay here as long as you'd like. You never have to leave or run again if you don't want to."

"That is very kind of you, Aunt Bells."

"It's not a problem at all, Jonas. Carolyn, can you come help me cook. My brother should be here soon. He went out to collect wood from the forest not too far from here. Now eat. You need the nutrients to regain your strength." Jonas did as the older female asked. Carolyn went over to the stove and took over from where her aunt left off. Aunt Bells began to chop vegetables with a knife on a higher table over by the stove.

As the night went on, a taller man with dirty blonde hair came to the cabin and was a bit upset that his mother and sister hadn't kicked him out yet. Jonas assumed that it was Carolyn's uncle. Richard slowly accepted the fact that Jonas and Gabe weren't leaving, but was fine with idea if Jonas would help in the fields in the summer and spring and help with the harvest.

That night, Jonas went to bed for the first time in ages without the fear that the community would find him. He had discovered a family living on their own and surviving without being dependant on others to live. It was just like in the memories; color, warmth, love. When the Whitefield's sat down for supper that night, they shared feelings but they didn't have to, they laughed and talked and joked. Jonas learned of a being called God, and why they were celebrating a thing called Christmas, and that it was a holiday.

The next morning was Christmas morning, and Jonas had found himself being shaken awake by Carolyn. She was bouncing off the walls excited, and for the first time, Jonas heard music. He realized throughout the day that this was what everyone should experience. Jonas was ready for the life that lied ahead of him. He was happy that he saved Gabe.

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	3. Epilogue

Hi again. Here is the last chapter to how the giver should have ended! I really hoped you like it!-Delta

Disclaimer: I don't own the Giver.

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Epilogue

The years passed in a fast paced routine that was slow enough to enjoy. Jonas helped out in the fields with Richard, and Carolyn, and eventually Gabe when he was old enough to help out. There were years of plentiful food and water, and ones that Jonas learned that they were called droughts. The memories that he had been given by the Giver, slowly faded away as he lived a new life. Though every once in awhile, he was scared awake by a nightmare of pain and war.

Jonas found himself slowly falling in love with Carolyn as the years passed. He admitted his feelings to her when he was nineteen years old. A year later, he married her under the witness of Nana Marie. A few months after they were married, Nana Marie died from old age, leaving behind Gabe, Carolyn, Jonas, Bells, and Richard. It was a sad few weeks after her passing.

A few years later, Jonas and Carolyn had twin girls, both had Carolyn's dark hair, and Jonas's pale eyes. Carolyn would always call them the wonder eyes, because of their bright blue color. The twins were Lilith and Marie, after Nana Marie, and in remembrance of Jonas's younger sister from his childhood.

When Gabe turned fifteen, he decided to set out and find other people in the world. Not ones who were like the ones in the community, but those who escaped and avoided the communities. Gabe told his family that he would possibly one day return, but they knew better. Jonas gave him the remaining memories of his childhood in the community so Gabe knew what to avoid when he came across it. Carolyn was in tears when Gabe left, because to her, he was her younger brother that she would never have had. Carolyn knew that once he left he wasn't coming back. He would find a young girl and fall in love, and maybe send a note one day.

After a sad farewell, Gabe had disappeared behind the hill, and was never seen again. The guess of the Whitefield's and Jonas was that he either; died, found a home with someone, or the community found him. Either way, the worries vanished. Gabe was a strong kid and knew trouble when he crossed it.

Life went on as it always had, and eventually, Jonas died of old age, and the memories that had been buried over time left his mind as he passed, and back to the community, where life finally changed.

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Please Review! I hoped you like it. And I hope my grammer teacher does too. But it means a lot more from you!


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